Tunis, Tunisia – As the global telecommunications community prepares for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27) in Shanghai, China, Dr Bashir Gwandu, has renewed his call for African telecommunications experts and spectrum administrators to work together to secure the allocation of the 600MHz spectrum band for mobile services across the continent.
Speaking during a keynote address at the 2026 Spectrum Management Conference in Tunis on Monday, Gwandu urged African countries to push for the allocation and identification of the 600MHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), arguing that the frequency would significantly improve affordable 4G and 5G connectivity in rural areas.
The annual Spectrum Management Conference brings together regulators, policymakers, operators, and industry stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to discuss strategies for efficient spectrum utilization and the advancement of telecommunications.
Gwandu, who previously served as Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and as Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), emphasised that telecommunications regulators and spectrum managers hold their positions in trust for the public and must ensure that underserved rural communities are not left behind in the digital era.
